des_201_plainview_chroniclesfandomcom-20200213-history
Controls and Gameplay Mechanics
Section by: Antonio Valvona-Smith - 1803277 This is part 2 of a 2 part narrative element. Part 1: Gameplay Design Controlling the Characters Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC Controls: Movement (console) - Left Stick Movement (PC) - WASD keys Action Button * Playstation – Square * Xbox – X * Switch (two joycons/pro controller) - A * Switch (one joycon) - right button/B * Keyboard – E Jumping * Playstation – Cross * Xbox – A * Switch (two joycons/pro controller) - B * Switch (one joycon) - Down Button/Y * Keyboard – Space Switching Characters * Playstation – Triangle * Xbox – Y * Switch (two joycons/pro controller) - X * Switch (one joycon) Up Button/A * Keyboard – Q Interacting with the environment: In both investigation and exploration mode the three characters can use their abilities of climbing, moving and searching. This is done by approaching the object that you want to interact with and pressing the action button. This is also how the players interact/talk with NPCs. Movement The player moves the children as a group through levels and the world similar to the team system in Sonic Heroes where you can switch the leader and use their abilities. The players can also be split up for certain missions to allow for puzzles that restrict the use of abilities to only 2 or even 1 for more difficult sections of gameplay. There will also be puzzles in which all 3 characters must be used in tandem in order to complete them. An example of this would be the strong child lifting a box for the small child who can climb and crawl through small spaces to get a clue for the smart child to analyse after bringing it back. Abilities Investigating The first character’s ability is investigation. This allows them to search and investigate certain areas around the game world and in levels. Such as searching a book case for clues as how to continue through the level, this is a skill also used outside of levels in order to discover where their next point for investigation should be. On top of this anything the investigative character finds out gets noted down in a notebook the player can check back on if they leave the game for a while or just forget what they’re doing. The smart child will also note down anything the players have done in a level when the level ends in a bulletpoint system. Making it easy for the player to keep track of what they did in a level. Climbing Climbing is a skill used for getting to or progressing through levels. This is done by interacting with a climbable object such as a box, tree or in cases like caves or outside, large holes can be climbed down into. Due to the small stature of the character they can also climb through small passages which can either be lying open or be opened for the player by the strong child. Pulling/Pushing/Lifting The strong child is able to open passageways and uncover secrets and clues with their abilities of pushing, pulling and lifting. This is used in many ways across the two play styles for both getting into the level, an example of this would be the strong child opening a hatch or pushing something out the way of a door, or in the level itself, by moving an object or lifting it to get an item underneath or even uncovering a clue by pushing something over to uncover it, if there is a roadblock that you cannot get past then it is most likely an obstacle meant for the strong child. However when the strong child is required to lift something quite large then they will be unable to move. Which means that the strong child will be temporarily out of the party until the object is placed back down. Luckily though the player is able to switch party members without the strong child dropping the heavy object allowing the other party members to collect anything underneath or go through any crawl spaces that have been uncovered.